Our Little Secret
by Your Lady Star
Summary: An incident on a trip to Wyvern Valley leaves Gerome and Inigo stranded waiting for help. But this experience leaves them able to learn more about themselves; specifically, how they feel about one another.


_Hey everyone, "Gypsy" is back!_

 _Now, Fire Emblem Awakening. It's becoming one of my absolute most favorite games ever. It's personally inspiring me to save up and purchase the other FE games released in America and the inclusion of Robin and Lucina in SSB4 makes me so glad I pre-ordered it._

 _I have quite a few fanfics for my favorite couples planned, along with my own version of a novelization, but for now I'll be focusing on something else._

 _For those who have read my fanfic "A Friend in Love" know that I'm a yaoi fan. And if you didn't, now you know. One thing I was surprised to see was the lack of bromances in the game. With the exception of Chrom and male Robin (you can't help but ship them no matter what gender), most of the male characters are shown to have platonic relationships. Sure there are certain things here and there that make you raise an eye, but it's never anything too severe._

 _That is until I met Gerome and Inigo._

 _These two on their own pretty much threw out the whole "everyone is straight" vibe out the window and ran it over with a pickup truck._

 _So I decided to contribute to their growing fan base with this._

 _Now I'm basing the concept of this off of a MLP fanfic called Swayback Mountains. So if any bronies out there are reading this, don't think I'm trying to copy and paste. I really liked it and figured I give it my own try. And since this is a completely different world, I have a lot to work with._

 _But that's enough delaying; I know you guys are ready to read and we got a lot of story ahead of us, so let's do this!_

* * *

"Hurry up Inigo!"

The stern wyvern rider yelled behind him and watched as the blonde haired dancer practically dragged himself up the hill and dropped to his knees gasping for breath.

"Haa haa…just…just a minute…I…I need a break…"

Gerome could feel his anger rising as he watched him, "Why did you even follow me if you can't keep up? You were supposed to go with the others."

"I was…but if I did…I would have missed my only opportunity."

"For what?"

Inigo finally managed to catch his breath and looked up at him, "Well, you know mother's birthday is coming soon, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I found out her favorite flowers grow around this area. So when I heard you were taking this path, I stayed behind so I could go with you. If I can find them, I could make them one lovely present for her."

Gerome couldn't help but be amazed. He sometimes forgot that the flirtatious womanizer could be genuinely kind when he needed to.

"Well, if we're going to find them and make it to the competition on time we have to keep going."

Inigo let out a pained sigh and stood up, "Why are we even walking there? We can get there in no time on Minerva."

"If we are going to properly display our bond, I want to be sure she is well rested. I promised her that I would not make her fly until the competition."

Inigo sighed again, "Well, you know her a lot better than I do, so who am I to argue?"

"Good, now let's go."

Inigo sighed and followed after him.

All the Shepherds were making their way to Wyvern Valley. A competition was being held there to test who possessed a true bond with their faithful wyvern. At first, Cherche was requested to enter and represent the Shepherds, but wanting to make him more involved in the Shepherd's work, she volunteered Gerome to participate instead. He was of course against it at first, not wanting to use Minerva as a show steed. But after a well rounded talk with his mother and father, Donnel, he decided to participate. They had been training together for the past two months and he felt they were ready. The Shepherds were all vacated in Valm for the last few days, the others heading off first in the carriages while Gerome decided to walk after making sure everything was in order. What he had not foreseen was the blonde dancer staying behind to follow after him. The walk to Wyvern Valley would be short, so he could put up with the flirtatious male for a while.

"Do Olivia and Libra even know you're with me?"

"Yeah. I told them I would walk with you to make sure you don't get lost. Can't have my surprise be spoiled."

"That just might keep Libra from being upset at you for lying to them."

"I'm pretty sure he won't mind, neither will mother."

The two and the wyvern continued on their way. Inigo was surprised that Gerome seemed to know where to go. They weren't too familiar with the area yet he seemed to know every inch of the land. They eventually reached an old bridge over a large ravine with a harsh river flowing beneath it. The sight of it sent shivers down Inigo's spine.

"Are you sure there isn't another way through?"

"No, now let's go."

Inigo sighed, "Fine. But you should at least have Minerva fly over."

"I told you that I would not make her fly until the competition."

"There's no way she will be able to cross this bridge without falling through!"

"She will be fine. Men on steeds have easily crossed this bridge before."

"Yes, but we have a wyvern here," He heard Minerva growl and cast a cold gaze at him, "Sorry Minerva, I'm not trying to be cruel but you're not exactly as light as a horse."

"Neither is a griffon, now let's go."

Gerome started walking across the bridge and Inigo stood there dumbfounded. He wanted to say something but had no idea what. But there was no use arguing now. Gerome was stubborn as hell and it took a lot to change his mind.

Gerome reached the end of the bridge and gestured for Inigo to cross. He held his hands on the ropes at his side and did his best to keep his gaze up. The harsh crashing of the water beneath him made him feel uneasy. Once he made it across, Gerome gestured towards Minerva. But she seemed to show the same uneasiness and fear Inigo had.

"Don't worry girl, you'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

The wyvern seemed to calm down and began making her way across. Each step she took made the bridge creek loudly and she hesitated with each step.

"Gerome, at this rate the bridge is going to break! Tell her to fly over!"

"Shut up!" He looked at him and Inigo could tell even through the mask that he was glaring daggers into him, "You're just going to make her more nervous!" He looked back towards his wyvern, "Minerva come, you're halfway through."

She hesitated at first, but she continued her steps calmer and coming more gradually. But when a strong gust a wind blew through, she stumbled and her leg fell through the bridge as she let out a screech.

"Minerva!"

"Dammit, what did I just say?!"

The two ran out onto the bridge to help her, but another gust of wind blew, causing the bridge to give out.

The three plummeted to the water below. The harsh rapids pulled them farther down the river and made it difficult to stay above the surface. The two soldiers felt something pull on them, and saw that Minerva had grabbed them and pulled them towards the rocky surface next to the river. Out of the rushing river, they coughed up the water that had pounded into their mouths to catch their breaths.

"Inigo, Minerva, are you okay?"

Inigo looked to the masked man, pushing his soaked hair out of his face, "I'm fine."

Minerva growled in agreement and smothered her face in Gerome's chest.

The action ended up making Gerome smile, something he very rarely did, "Don't worry girl, I'm fine."

Minerva calmly looked at him before she started prodding at his neck.

"What is it girl?" She pressed against his neck and growled, "It's gone?"

Gerome moved his armor out the way and began to feel around his neck, a growing panic beginning to set in.

"Gods, it is gone!"

"What is?"

"A necklace! Cherche had given it to me in the future; it was made of Minerva's scales!" He watched as his grimace faded and he started to shiver, "That was the only other memento I had of my parents."

Inigo couldn't stand to see his friend like this; it was nothing like the Gerome he came to know. Looking back at the river, he felt a rush of bravery and immediately dove in.

"Inigo, are you mad?! What are you doing?!"

"Finding your necklace, it couldn't have gone too far!"

Before Gerome could say another word Inigo dived down below the surface. He kept his eyes on the water, looking for any signs of him, before he saw him rise up and grab onto a nearby rock.

"Inigo, get back here!"

"No, I think I saw it!"

He dove back down the water, staying down for much longer this time, before he came back up with something in his hand.

"Gerome, catch!"

He threw the object towards them and Minerva reached out and caught it with her mouth. Handing it to Gerome, he saw it was his necklace. He felt a rush of relief flow through him and he smiled and looked towards the blonde man in the water.

"Thank you, now get back here!"

Inigo nodded, but before he could begin his swim back, a large wave came and crashed into him. As it calmed down, Gerome was not able to see Inigo anymore and he swore he could see blood forming in the water.

"Minerva, stay here!"

Minerva nodded, holding onto his necklace, as he dove into the water and started to look and feel for Inigo. As he was starting to lose hope, he felt his hand and grabbed onto him, bringing himself and the unconscious male above the water. Minerva reached out and grabbed onto him, pulling them onto the ground.

"Inigo!"

Looking down at the unconscious male, he saw not only that he wasn't breathing but that the back of his head was bleeding and it was beginning to soak his hair.

"Inigo! Damn you, wake up!"

Gerome shook the young man's shoulders, but was getting no response out of him. He was running low on options, and there was only one thing he could think to do.

Pinching his nose, he pressed his lips against the others and began to breathe into him.

"Damn you, breathe already!"

He continued to try to bring him back, but with each breath and every failed attempt to see a reaction, he felt his hope begin to shatter more and more until he wasn't able to continue anymore. He stared down at the pale unconscious dancer and felt a pang of guilt hit him right in his heart.

"Gods, no!"

The very thing he feared…the cold hand of death…had it really come and stolen away his friend?

Just as he felt like everything was about to shatter, he heard the man beneath him gurgle before turning his head to the side and started to cough up wave after wave of river water. Gerome let out a huge sigh of relief and settled for rubbing Inigo's back as he continued to cough.

"Inigo…are you okay?"

The blonde dancer finally settled down and looked up at him, "I'm fine…my head hurts though," He reached behind his head and no doubt felt the blood seeping out of it.

"You must have hit your head when that wave came in. Hold still so I can take a look."

Reaching into his pocket, Gerome pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it against the back of Inigo's head.

"Ow…ow ow!"

"Hold still, will you? You're only making this harder."

"I can't help it, it hurts!"

"If it hurts this much, the wound must be very serious."

"It's not because of the wound," Inigo looked back at him, a small blush forming on his face, "It's just…your touch…it's hurting me a lot, so take it easy."

Gerome could have sworn he felt his heart stop cold for a split second, "Just shut up and let me finish."

Inigo stayed silent as Gerome continued to clean the blood and feel around the wound, the occasional wince coming from the blonde male. He remembers the last time he did this for him, when Minerva nipped Inigo in a fit of anger after hearing him criticize his own dancing. The same thing happened then as well. Inigo's choice of wording made the situation much more awkward than it should have been and made it hard for Gerome to focus. The only way he would be able to help him now was by getting him to stop talking.

"It's not too serious, the bleeding should stop soon," Gerome grabbed Inigo's hand and placed it over the handkerchief, "Keep it there, I'll be right back."

"Wait, where are you going?"

Gerome stood up and looked around, "The bridge is out, so I'm going to find another way for us to get out of here," He could tell that Inigo was about to speak and stopped him, "Don't bother saying it."

"I wasn't going to say that. I was just going to say be careful."

Gerome smiled for a quick second then looked at Minerva, "Stay with him, girl."

At the wyvern's nod, he took off in the direction of the stream. He figured if he followed it, it could lead to a small slope for them to climb on and continue on their way. Daybreak was already drawing near, and if they couldn't find an easy way out, they wouldn't be able to reach Wyvern Valley before nightfall. And with the condition Inigo was in, they would be very ill suited for battle against wandering bandits. The stream seemed to stretch on for what seemed like miles before he reached the end. But he was greeted with the sight of a large waterfall surrounded by rocky mountains. He was completely exhausted by this point, and because of it he allowed his emotions to take over. The first one that swelled up was, unsurprisingly, anger. Anger and rage at the blonde hair dancer leisurely lying down with Minerva who knows how far away who was too insecure to listen to him when he said to return. But with that memory came thankfulness. He was grateful to him for nearly risking his life just to get a simple necklace, something Gerome found himself almost cherishing. And as he thought back more, the next emotion that came was regret. He should have listened to Inigo before; if he had they wouldn't be in this mess. The anger he had before was soon being pointed towards himself. His incredibly stubborn nature not only caused him to lash out at his friend, but nearly caused him to die and for them to be stuck in a ravine with the only way out being an option he refuses to choose.

Damn, why did he have to be so difficult?

He looked up at the sky and saw the beginning of night. The competition was tomorrow morning, he was soaked down to the clothing beneath his armor and tired out, and his friend was suffering a head injury that he had no idea what damage it caused. Why must the Gods choose now to torture him?

Sighing in defeat, he turned around and began making his way back. As he walked back slowly, he noticed the long branches with large leafs growing on the side. He hadn't noticed them before as he was rushing. He gathered as many of them as he could on his walk back, carrying them over his shoulder, before he managed to reach them, the now star filled sky and bright moonlight guiding his way.

Inigo had fallen asleep, the handkerchief he was holding onto was barely slipping off his limp hand, and Minerva had her wind draped over him. She perked her head up as he drew near and he set the branches on the ground before going over to Inigo. The bleeding on his head had fortunately stopped and he was breathing steadily. He took the handkerchief from the sleeping man's hand and managed to wash off most of the blood, though it would require a proper cleaning later. Placing it back into his pocket, he turned towards his wyvern, "Can you help me out Minerva?"

Nodding, Minerva helped Gerome line the branches against the wall by placing stones at the bottom to hold them in place. It was a simple shading but it would do for now. Gerome grabbed Inigo and pulled him under the crudely built shelter; he let out a small sigh but was still fast asleep. Letting out a huge sigh, Gerome turned to Minerva and grabbed her face so he could look her in the eye.

"Minerva, I know I told you that I wouldn't make you fly until the competition, but we have no other choice…head to Wyvern Valley, find mother and tell her we're here. We're going to need help if we're going to get out of here," Minerva nodded nuzzled against his neck, making him smile, "Make sure you be careful, I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me." She nodded again before flying up and heading off into the direction of Wyvern Valley. He looked in the direction until he couldn't hear her wing flaps anymore, and then went to lie down next to Inigo. He felt utterly exhausted after everything that happened and almost immediately fell asleep.

Gerome opened his eyes and was thankful for his mask and the crudely built shelter that blocked the sun from his eyes. Running his hand through his wind tousled hair, he sat up and stretched out painfully. Sleeping on the rocky surface was not pleasant in the slightest, but it's not like they had any other option. He was thankful for his armor, else he would not doubt be in an excruciating amount of pain.

"Inigo, wake up."

Not getting a response, he looked towards the man next to him.

"Inigo?"

Worry growing in him, he moved the leafs of the shelter to get a better look at him. He was taken completely off guard when he saw him shivering violently and his skin had gone pale and his lips a slight shade of blue. He realized what was wrong, and he wanted to hit himself for being so foolish. While the trip to and from the end of the river had manage to dry him off, albeit mostly, Inigo was left soaking wet with a bleeding scalp and Minerva more likely shading him the entire time.

'Gods, why didn't I make sure to at least dry him off?!'

Moving Inigo out into the sun, he took the canister of water Donnel had given him before leaving and brought it to blonde dancer's mouth. Seeing that he wasn't reacting to it, he grabbed the back of his head and used his fingers to open his mouth and began to pour the water in. Almost instantly Inigo had reacted and swallowed the water. Opening his eyes weakly, he looked up at the wyvern rider above him.

"Ge…rome…"

"Don't speak too much; you're really weak right now."

Inigo kept silent and allowed Gerome to feed him the water until he felt his breathing go back to normal. Gerome set him on the ground, handing him the canister which he managed to hold in his hands, and Inigo took a quick look around.

"Where's Minerva?"

"I sent her to get Cherche and come get us."

"You made her fly? But I thought-"

"There's no reason for me to deny her flight anymore. The competition has more likely already started, so there's no reason anymore."

Inigo stayed silent for a moment before speaking, "Gerome…I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Gerome turned to Inigo, all the anger and frustration he had been holding in suddenly bursting out in one fell swoop making him scream, "You made me waste two months of training, nearly lose an heirloom, send my Minerva off by herself and be stuck taking care of you and all you can say is you're sorry?!"

Inigo was struck with each word like receiving a blow from an axe and he turned his head away from him, his eyes shut tight, "I'm really sorry. This whole thing is my fault."

Calming down from his outburst, he sighed and looked away from Inigo, "Don't apologize, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm at fault for this as well." Standing up, he looked towards the direction of Wyvern Valley, "Still, she should have gotten back here by now."

Inigo couldn't stand to see him so tormented, even after his words he still felt like he was at fault for all his frustration. He refused to be a ball and chain to easily his closest friend. Lifting the canister to take another sip of water, it fell from his hands and the contents of it spilled out onto the rocky ground.

"Oops…"

Gerome sighed and bent down to pick up the canister, "Don't worry, I expected that in your condition. Stay here."

As Gerome walked towards the direction of the river, he couldn't help but feel his anger rising. It almost seemed like Inigo had meant to drop it. But not wanting his emotions to control him again, he pushed that thought aside and continued until he reached the waterfall. He figured the water would be at its freshest here. Holding the canister near the drop, he filled it up full and began making his way back.

'He better not spill this one.'

As he neared the spot, his eyes looking down to keep his emotions in control before looking at Inigo, he realized that he wasn't there. His eyes scanned in every direction, with no sign of the blonde dancer anywhere. That is until he looked at the broken bridge several feet away from him.

Inigo staggered as he finally managed to reach the broken bridge. It dangled off the edge of the ravine, the boards and ropes remarkably intact. It looked as though it could support him. Gathering his strength, he grabbed onto the two ropes and lifted himself up. Once up, he placed both his feet on the lowest board. There was a very noticeably creek sound from the moment he got on, but it didn't seem too severe. He climbed up onto the next board, the creek sound less severe than before, and as he continued it seemed to settle. He just had to take it easy, that way it wouldn't break. As he slowly climbed up the broken bridge, now a few feet off the ground, he heard a familiar voice below him.

"Inigo!"

He looked below him and saw Gerome looking up at him, anger practically burning through his mask.

"Inigo, get back down here!"

"No. All I'm doing is holding you back and making you angry. If I go by myself, you won't have to keep watching over me."

"Fool! If you go by yourself, you're just going to end up dead. If bandits don't kill you, then your condition will get you first."

"I'll be fine. If anything, mother and father are on their way here. They can help me if I get into trouble."

"There is no certainty for that! Are you mad enough to obliviously walk into death?!"

Inigo looked away from him, staring at the rocky wall of the ravine, "You shouldn't be so concerned for me. Because of me, you won't be able to compete in the competition."

Gerome sneered, "Right now, my main priority is keeping us safe until the others get here. I don't care about that competition anymore."

"Don't lie to me! I know how upset you are at me, especially after all those nights you spent practicing."

Gerome was taken off guard at his words, "How do you know about that?"

Inigo sighed and shut his eyes, "When I was heading back after practicing my routine one night, I got lost and I ran into you practicing with Minerva. After a while of watching…I was completely entranced. I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. The amount of passion and strength you both had was unbelievable. After that, when I would sneak out, I would completely ignore practicing my dance and find you so I could watch you practice. I've been doing that the past month, and I made sure no one knew about it. I couldn't risk that."

"You've been watching me?" Gerome said, as though he hadn't been listening to a single word he said, "What's so wrong with that? Most of the others know that I take Minerva to watch you dance. What's wrong with them knowing?"

"Stupid, stupid Gerome!" Inigo suddenly screamed, "There's no way you could ever understand!"

Inigo continued to climb up the broken bridge. With no other option to think of, Gerome grabbed the ropes of the broken bridge and pulled, tearing it from its hold and causing Inigo to come crashing down onto the rocky surface.

Gerome bent down and picked up the blonde dancer and swung him over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" Inigo thrashed and beat against Gerome's back, "Put me down!"

"Stop moving! You're acting more stubborn than an untamed wyvern," Gerome started walking back to the campsite, "I'm not letting you out of my sight until the others get here."

Inigo eventually gave up and went limp on the wyvern riders back. There was no use fighting him, especially considering he didn't have the strength to do so anymore. As he continued to walk, Gerome felt him nuzzle against his back and the back of his neck.

"What is it?"

"It's just…I never realized before, but you smell like…blood."

"Considering the constant battles we are in, that shouldn't be all too surprising."

"But…it's seeped so deep and it smells so fresh. This can't be good on you, to always be covered in blood. How can you handle it? I would never be able to."

"Well, the future had made me rather desensitized to it."

"You're pretty lucky. When most of us came back here, we were terrified of even going into battle."

"I know. Even now it's hard to convince Yarne to volunteer for battle."

"Mmm hmm…I heard him once say that he swears to become as strong and brave as Chrom. I'd love to see that though."

"Hmph, I'll make sure to tell him that later."

Inigo smacked Gerome on the back of his head, "Don't even think about it! He'd never live it down."

Gerome chuckled and focused on getting back to the site, but spoke after of few minutes of silence and feeling Inigo go limp on his back, "Inigo?"

He heard a pleasant sigh from the man on his shoulder. He was still far from recovering and he needed his rest. Finally reaching the site, he set Inigo down on the ground and leaned him against the wall. As he was about to let him go, he reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Gerome…I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Gerome loosened Inigo's grip on him and sat in front of him, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm okay. I promise I won't run away again."

"Good. They should be here soon anyway."

Gerome handed Inigo the canister of water and he took a big drink of it, "Thanks, I really needed that."

Gerome smiled for a second before his expression got serious, "Inigo?"

"Hmm?"

"Back at the bridge, when I asked you why it was wrong for the others to know, you said I could never understand. I've given it some thought, but I don't quite understand what you meant by that."

The smile on Inigo's face immediately faded away and he set the canister down, avoiding his gaze, "Oh that…don't take it too serious, Gerome. I…it was just my condition talking."

He shook his head, "That was not your sickness at all. The look on your face when you said that…you made it seem like I had disappointed you."

"D-disappointed me? T-that wasn't-"Looking at Gerome, he could see that he wasn't buying a single word he was saying. Gerome wasn't a stupid man at all and he could tell he was hiding something. With no other option in mind, Inigo decided to come clean. As much as he knew it would pain him. "I-It's true, I…did feel kind of disappointed, but I shouldn't have brought it up like that. It's just that…I know that I shouldn't say this, and I know you could never feel the same but…I think I'm in love with you Gerome."

The moment he said those words, everything seem to freeze. Gerome felt a rush of emotions flow through him, but this time they were coming at him so fast and sudden that he couldn't process most of them. Shock, confusion, surprise, frantic, unsure; they were a few of the emotions rushing through his panicking mind.

Looking away from the blonde dancer, feeling his face begin to flush a deep red, Gerome finally broke the foreboding silence between them, "In-In a way, I almost expected that out of you."

Feeling his spirit breaking, Inigo hugged his legs to his chest and buried his face in his knees, "Now I've gone and done it. I've completely messed up any chance I had of us remaining friends."

He looked back at him, "What makes you think that?"

"Just think! Why would you even want to be friends with me knowing how I feel about you? This is why I didn't want anyone to know I was watching you. If they got the slightest idea about my intentions, I would just be bringing Hell on both of us. I'm not going to put you through that, especially if you have no fault in it."

When Inigo didn't hear a response out of the man in front of him, he realized that the gravity of the situation had finally set in and he would have to cherish these last moments he had with Gerome before he would more likely never be able to speak to him again. But as he was lost in his thoughts he heard shuffling in front of him and felt two hands grab each side of his face and lift it up. But what had caught him off guard was that he wasn't looking at his usual masked friend. He was looking at the blushing face and brown eyes that was hidden beneath the mask. There was sincerity in his eyes and an unusual emotion that left him confused.

"Don't go thinking things like that Inigo. None of that is going to happen anytime soon, especially me stop being your friend."

"But…aren't you mad?"

"No I'm not. I'm not mad at all. Actually, if I'm going to be honest," a smile grew on his face, "I'm flattered that you feel that way about me."

"You…you are?"

He nodded, "Why wouldn't anyone be flattered knowing they captivate the heart of someone close to them? Now stop thinking those thoughts, they're nothing like you at all."

Inigo smiled, hearing those words come from his dearest friend and knowing that they were coming from his heart from the honesty in his eyes.

Gerome moved and sat down next to him, allowing the blonde dancer to lean his head against his shoulder as the wyvern riders arm wrapped around him. Closing his eyes in bliss, he allowed himself to enjoy this moment, taking the scent of blood on his friend that was slowly growing alluring to his senses.

"Feeling better now?"

Inigo nodded, wrapping his arms around Gerome's torso and snuggling into his neck. He hadn't even realized he was crying until he felt the wyvern rider's hand brush against his cheek, the action causing him to look up at him.

"Gerome?"

"Hush," His fingers wiped away the slow falling tears from his eyes with the most gentle of touches, "I don't like to see you cry. It doesn't belong on your beautiful face."

"Gerome!"

Inigo sprung up and wrapped his arms around Gerome's neck, burying his face into his neck, and his legs wrapped around his waist. New tears were flowing from his eyes, pure happiness and joy running through him. At first Gerome thought the position was very awkward, but he quickly adjusted and wrapped his arms around the smaller man's body.

In truth, when the blonde dancer had confessed his feelings, Gerome had felt something unlock inside of him. The stored away feelings he felt towards his friend. The ones he had always passed off as being nothing but concern for the shy flirtatious dancer when he would get in over his head. The closest he had ever associated them with was brotherly concern for his friend. But…could it really be that-

Feeling the blonde dancer trying to snuggle closer to him, he focused on rubbing his hands along his back and hair to keep him calm.

Inigo didn't want this moment to end; he never wanted it to end. He wanted to be held by his dearest friend forever. He was praying to Naga to allow this moment to last, for every moment of it to be real and true. Deep enough so he could relive it whenever he wanted to and never forget how happy he made him.

He relished in the feel of his friends hand in his hair and running along his back, rejoicing in the heat of his body coaxing every part of his body and warming his senses. Moving his face away from his neck, he looked at Gerome's eyes, their faces so close their noses touched and they could feel each other's breathe. Inigo's was soft and shaking while Gerome's was calm and warm. The wyvern rider could tell what the other wanted, but his unmistakable shyness was holding him back.

So he took matters into his own hands.

Burying his hand in the others blonde hair, Gerome leaned forward and kissed Inigo.

The first was soft and quick, to test his reaction, before he moved in for another. And in the second one, Inigo found himself kissing back. Both boys were quickly finding themselves immersed into the kiss and could not pull away from each other. In fact, the hand in Inigo's hair and the other wrapped around his back tightened, pulling them so close to the point there was no space between them, and Inigo settled for burying one hand in the wyvern riders wind tossed hair and the other grasping onto his shoulder as it he would fall apart if they separated.

The hidden feelings that Gerome had locked away in his heart were growing stronger with each passing second he was feeling the blonde dancer's soft lips against his own, but he had no intention of turning away from them this time. He wanted to have every bit of the man in his arms; he wanted to selfishly devour him. Even though it was something primal, something that had never once passed through his mind before, he knew what he wanted. And he was determined to have it.

Somehow managing to tear himself away from the others lips, Gerome began to trail kisses down the others neck. Inigo shivered feeling the others warm lips against his chilled body. It was as though the heat from the wyvern rider's body was being transferred into his with every touch of his hands and lips. Catching a glimpse of Gerome's eyes, he saw something strange in them. An emotion that was not normal for a man like him, one that scared him yet made his heart race and body heat up all the same.

Noticing the dancer staring at him, Gerome removed his lips from the others neck and looked him in the eye. He could see his flushed face and confused eyes, riddled with so many emotions and an innocence that left him in a trance. But he didn't make any gestures to push him away; in fact he seemed to be beckoning him back.

Licking his lips, savoring the taste of the blonde dancer on them, he smirked playfully at him, something Inigo never thought he could see on him, "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

The bluntness of his friends words were quite unlike anything he had ever seen, and Inigo found himself unable to find his voice. All he could do was tighten his grip on the wyvern rider's body.

"I've put you through quite a lot this past month, haven't I?"

Once again finding his words stuck in his throat, Inigo simply nodded. And at that moment, he thought he saw something primal light up in his friend's eyes.

"Then allow me to repay you for all that suffering."

Inigo felt his body being pushed onto the rocky ground with a surprising softness, Gerome setting himself between his legs and balancing on his hands and knees. When Inigo looked up at him, it was as if he was staring at someone completely different, not at all his longtime friend. Yet for some reason, he didn't mind in the slightest.

In fact-

"You'll allow me, won't you?"

-he loved it. Smiling at him, he nodded and completely submitted himself to him.

***** (try guessing what happens here)

Gerome opened his eyes and found Inigo at his side, still deep in sleep with a pleasant smile on his face. The innocent and pleased demeanor of the sleeping dancer was so endearing to him, and upon closer inspection, he saw that a more healthy color had returned to his features.

'Looks like he wasn't japing when he said that this act can cure any illness.' He placed a kiss on Inigo's forehead, watching let out a pleasant sigh, something he found strangely cute. 'You still need to rest though,' Gerome sat up, looking at the empty sky, the sun raised to high noon right around now, 'Minerva still hasn't returned yet. May as well search around more,' He glanced down at the sleeping Inigo, 'Stay safe until I return,' He then set off, hoping that his search this time will yield fruitful results.

A short while after Gerome had set off, Inigo had awoken. As he rubbed his eyes to fully awaken, his mind instantly flashed to what he and Gerome had done prior, and a bright smile flashed on his face.

"Gerome!" He shot up, yet looking around, realized that Gerome wasn't anywhere to be seen. As his eyes scanned around, his mind began to panic and run rampant. 'Oh Gods, please tell me that wasn't just a dream.'

Even though he didn't want to believe this, each passing moment that he couldn't find his long time love was making it feel more surreal. His body curled up on the ground as he silently began to sob. He hadn't even taken notice of the footsteps slowly approaching him until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped in surprise, but calmed down when he saw him, "Gerome?"

"Inigo, are you alright?"

"Yeah...I'm fine," He said, rubbing away the tears from his eyes, "I feel much better now that you're here."

"Well, as long as you're okay. Anyway, I found something that you might like."

Reaching back into the sheath he would normally hold his axe, Gerome pulled out a bundle of lovely flowers, each a bright pure white.

Inigo was utterly shocked, "G-Gerome, where did you find these?"

"I found them while looking around. I figured that at least one of us should get what we wanted out of this."

"But, you even managed to find them in mother's favorite color. How did you know this?"

"I wouldn't be your closest friend if I didn't know these kinds of things. Besides, I managed to find something else," Gerome reached into the bundle of white flowers and pulled out one that was a lovely vivid pink, "I figured you should receive something for me dragging you into this mess."

"Y-You got this...for me?"

Gerome nodded, "I wanted to find one that matched that blush of yours. Took some time, but it's worth it if you'll accept it."

The brightest smile ever to grace a being's face was on Inigo's face as he tackled Gerome into a hug, "Of course I'll accept it! This is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me! Thank you, I love it and I love you!" Inigo continued to gush for what felt like hours before he let Gerome go, a bright blush on his face, "U-Uh, sorry. I-I kind of lost it there. I must have looked foolish."

Gerome gave a small chuckle before grabbing Inigo's chin and tilting his head up, letting him kiss him. When he pulled away, Inigo felt like his face was on fire and he was beginning to wonder if his neck was beginning to blush.

"There's that blush," Gerome handed the pink flower to him and placed the white flowers back into his sheath, "We should keep these hidden. You did say you wanted this to be a surprise, didn't you?"

Inigo smiled and place the flower away, "Right, thank you."

Just then, the boys heard a wyvern growl that didn't sound too far and the growing sound of wing flaps. Minerva then flew overhead along with her younger variation. But they were quickly joined by three Pegasus and a griffon. Turns out Minerva had managed to bring out Frederick, Sumia, Cordelia, Cynthia and both of the boys parents.

"Gerome!""Inigo!"

Once all the flying steeds landed, the boys were caught in near bone crushing hugs by their parents.

The confused dancer was the first to speak, "Mother, father, what are you doing here?"

"I-I'm so *sniff* so g-glad you're okay," Olivia sniffled into her son's chest and hugged him tighter.

"Don't you see, son, we were worried about you," Libra chimed in.

"But still, why are you all here now? I sent Minerva to fetch you last night."

"Oh, poor Minerva," Cherche said with a frown, "The entire fly to Wyvern Valley, she desperately wanted to turn around and go back to you. She didn't wanted to leave you, but she knew she had to get help."

Gerome smiled and patted his wyvern's head, "Thank you, Minerva."

"You two caused quite the panic," The stoic knight Frederick said, "When Minerva had returned alone and rather panicked, we knew that something was wrong."

"Donnel and I were going to get you two ourselves, but when Minerva had told us that Inigo had gotten hurt, Libra and Olivia insisted on tagging along as well. So I asked Sumia and Cordelia to help bring them here and Chrom had asked for Frederick to come with us for protection."

"I see. But, why are you here, Cynthia?" Inigo asked.

"Because I wanted to make sure you two were okay. I didn't want to wait for you to come back, I wouldn't be able to take it," The young Pegasus knight said with a smile.

During their conversation, Libra's hand drifted to Inigo's head, where his injury was, making him flinch, "Ouch."

"Oh, that must have been what Minerva was saying. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Gerome did help out a lot."

"Well, I'll be sure to bandage it up when we return to Wyvern Valley."

"Libra's right. I reckon we been here long enough. We gotta get 'em back so they can rest up for the competition t'morrow," Donnel chimed in.

This left Gerome very confused, "What do you mean? The competition should have started by now."

Cherche giggled, "Seems like they still recall our help back when we first found you. When we told them that you two got trapped here, they generously postponed the event until tomorrow."

"And it's probably best that we return or their generosity will be in vain," The knight said.

"Right, let's go everyone."

The sets of parents returned to the steeds they came in on while Gerome mounted his Minerva and extended his hand to Inigo, who looked rather surprised at first, "All the others are taken, you can ride with me."

Feeling rather nervous, being that he never had ridden a wyvern (or any flying steed for that matter), he nervously gave Gerome his hand, letting the wyvern rider pull him up so he was sitting behind him, his arms wrapped around his torso so he was tightly seated before they all took off towards Wyvern Valley.

When the group had returned to Wyvern Valley, the boys were greeted with wide open arms that were eagerly awaiting their return. While Gerome set off to make sure Minerva was unharmed, Libra took Inigo to a local infirmary to make sure his head injury was nothing to serious.

Inigo sat up on the medical bed, letting the healing staffs magic work its wonders.

"How is it, father?"

Libra smiled gleefully, "Nothing at all severe. There's no sign of a fracture or concussion. You just suffered a bit of blood loss. Though I am grateful for what Gerome did to help. It kept the blood loss limited; if left untreated you would be rather dazed and confused right about now."

Once the magic wore off, Inigo stood up, feeling good as new, "Well, I'm right as rain so that's a good sign."

Libra chuckled at his sons returned enthusiasm, "I owe Gerome my greatest thanks. I'm glad to know I can trust him to care for you when I am unable to."

"Well, I wouldn't want to run you rampant fretting over me."

Just then, a knock on the door came. It opened, and Kjelle and Severa entered.

"Hey Inigo. We wanted to make sure you were okay."

He was a little taken back by this, "You two? Not to be rude, but you two are probably the last people I expected to check on me."

"Normally you would be right," The brunette sharply replied, "But considering what you've been through, I guess we took pity on you."

"Well, regardless of your reasoning, I do appreciate that you girls are willing to put your...differences with my son aside to ensure his safety."

"Well, they did go through a lot out there."

"Yeah. Gerome said you got slammed into a rock. Described it like you were hit by a mallet on your head. Just hearing it made me cringe," Severa rubbed the back of her head, just trying to imagine the feel of it.

"I can definitely agree with that depiction," Inigo cringed just from remembering the pain. But he was caught off guard when he saw Severa staring at him with a look of pure confusion, "What?"

"That's really all you have to say?"

"Pardon?"

"The Inigo I know would have said something like 'oh, no need to worry my dear snow queen. I'm sure if you were there, the pain would have felt like a winds breeze,'" She spoke, mocking Inigo's usual flirtatious voice.

"She's right. And when I said we came here on check on you, I was expecting you to get all flowery on me, yet nothing. What's the deal?"

'I don't want to betray Gerome.' Inigo was so glad that the voice in his head wasn't vocal, else he would have died right there, "It's nothing, ladies. I just didn't want to pepper you this time."

If Severa was confused before, now she's utterly dumbfounded, "Libra, you might want to check your son again. I think that accident did something to his head."

"I'll confess, this is rather surprising to hear," Now Libra was staring at him in confusion.

Inigo was about to panic, but manage to stay level-headed, "Trust me, it's nothing. I'm positively fine," He quickly changed the subject, "Can I go now father? I'm honestly starving right now."

"Of course you can."

Inigo then bolted out of the room before the girls could stop him to further discuss the topic.

"I don't care what that idiot says, something is wrong here."

"I couldn't agree more. This is weird even for his standards."

"I'm sure it's nothing to fret over, girls. Besides, I have a feeling I know what is going on with him."

Kjelle looked at him, "You do?"

"Yes, but it's only a prediction. My son is always so carefree, it seems like he doesn't give much thought to anything else than receiving attention, especially from females. But I learned firsthand that he holds quite a large weight on his shoulders. He treasures the bonds he has formed, especially with Gerome. Their friendship is quite unlike anything I've seen. That experience changed him, I could tell as soon as we returned. And I have a feeling Gerome might have something to do with this."

"Well, if that's your way of saying that Gerome knocked some sense into him, I don't mind it," Severa gave a smile, "If it keeps him from nagging me, I'll gladly accept it."

To none of their knowledge, they had no idea that Inigo was actually standing outside the door listening in on them. And hearing his father's words almost made him want to laugh. 'Father, you don't know half of how much Gerome has changed me.' Not wanting to be spotted, he immediately left, ready to quench his growing hunger.

Later that night, the Shepherds all retired for a hopefully restful sleep after the events that occurred. After making sure that Minerva was in good shape, Gerome took her to the stables for a restful rest before returning to his room. His body felt refreshed, having just returned from the bath house and now in some fresh night clothes. He lay down on his bed, relishing in the soft feel of the cloth that was worlds above the hard gravel of the ravine. He was most certainly going to enjoy this night's rest.

But before he was able to drift off, he heard a soft knock on his door. Giving his usual silent response, he watched as the door slowly opened and Inigo poked his head in.

"Hey Gerome, mind if I come in?"

Gerome smiled and sat up, "Not at all."

Inigo entered the room, locking the door behind him, and went to sit on the edge of the bed as Gerome moved to sit next to him.

"Why are you here? You should be resting."

"I guess I couldn't rest without seeing if you're alright. I haven't really gotten to talk to you since we got here."

The wyvern rider smiled, "How ironic. I was the one worrying over you. How's your injury?"

Inigo gave the back of his head a rub, "Nothing serious according to father. He said that you really did help keep it from being too severe."

"I doubt that I helped that much. All I did was put a rag over it."

"Well, regardless, expect a thanks from my father later."

Gerome decided to bring up something he heard earlier, "I also heard that Kjelle and Severa visited you. Apparently you gave them a shock by not flirting with them."

Inigo practically felt his face fall, "Oh, you heard about that?"

"Yes, and since they now believe that you have some sort of disease, it seems like you haven't said anything about what happened back there."

The dancer sighed, "I really did want to say something, but...the truth is I'm afraid to speak of it. I know you probably know this, but not a lot of people here take me seriously. To them, I'm just a cheerful and carefree flirt. I kept what I went through in our future a secret because I didn't want them to be too concerned over me. But if they were to learn that I've fallen for a fellow soldier, who isn't even female, I don't really want to think about how they would react, especially father. And the last thing I want to do is to bring you into the heat of it. After all, what happened back in the ravine was so sudden and unexpected, and I practically dragged you into it," Inigo felt his face flare up at the memory of it. He glanced at Gerome, seeing his face expressionless, as though he still had his mask on. "W-Well, I've talked long enough. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Good night."

Inigo sat up and turned to leave, but was barely able to take a step before he felt Gerome grab his hand and pull him onto the bed. He yelped in surprise and felt his heart nearly stop cold when the wyvern rider positioned himself over him, resting on his knees between the dancers legs and his hands gripping his wrist', keeping them pinned down on either side of his head.

"G-Gerome, what are you doing?! Let go, this is-"

"You really need to stop thinking ahead of yourself," Inigo stared at him confused before he continued, "You keep saying that you don't want me to get involved in the aftermath, but I'm just as involved in this as you are. We've equally committed to each other, and I don't regret a single thing we have done to one another, especially what happened in the ravine. And know this, I wouldn't have deflowered you like that for no reason. An act like that requires an equal commitment before both partners."

Inigo stared up at him, his face flushed pure red, and felt himself freezing over in shock at his words. What he said, did it mean…"G...Gerome...are you saying that…" The thought of what he was thinking being true kept him from finishing his sentence. To which Gerome finished, with a loving smile and his own face beginning to glow.

"Yes, I'm saying I love you, you beautiful idiot."

Hearing those words genuinely come from the man he's loved for weeks now overwhelmed the dancer. Slipping out of the larger man's grip, Inigo wound his arms around Gerome's neck and cried. He wanted to tell him how happy he was to hear those words, but his voice hitched in the back of his throat every time and came out as a happy whine. So he substituted by placing kisses on his neck and shoulder as he felt one hand wrap around his back, the other keeping them up.

After a few moments of silence, Gerome spoke, "Inigo, are you really afraid of what might happen if the others find out you love me?"

Inigo seized his actions and composed himself before speaking, "Yes. I'm so happy to know you love me too, but...I just am not sure if they will be as happy if they found out."

"Then don't."

This took him off guard. He let Gerome go, laying back on the bed with his hands still in his hair, "What do you mean?"

"If you're afraid that they might disapprove of us, then don't say anything about it. There's no reason for us to not stay like this in secret."

"So, for now, this will be our little secret?"

Gerome nodded, "Yes, for now. At least until the day you can speak of this. But I'll let you be the judge of that."

Inigo smiled, "Alright, as long as I can be with you. And, if it helps, I'm glad you don't regret what we did. I don't regret it either."

"You don't?"

He shook his head, "You know, I've always been told that the first time was rather painful. Mother and Father always told me to keep precaution should I ever find a women to settle down with. I think I understand what they meant now."

"I hurt you?" His face looked hurt of the thought of hurting Inigo.

"Only at first, but it went away fast. Trust me, I'm fine. I wouldn't lie to you," His face was beginning to flush now that he was talking about this.

He felt his face growing more hotter when he saw that same mischievous glint in his eyes that he saw back in the ravine and a lustful smile stretch across his face, "Well, how did I make you feel?"

"Very...very good," Talking was becoming a challenge for the dancer, since Gerome was gingerly caressing his hand along his thigh, "I-I never f-felt something like t-that...before," He felt his breath hitching with each passing second.

"Hmm, I made you feel that good? I want to ravish you again, but I have to compete tomorrow, so be lucky I'm holding back."

Inigo felt a lustful glint appear on his face that almost completely masked his shyness, "Actually, I have heard that this act can be a great stress reliever the day before a big event. Besides...you're making me feel rather restless," His last sentence came out in a whisper.

The gleam in Gerome's eyes made it look like he would devour Inigo whole, "Then I guess I have no reason to hold back."

Gerome crushed his lips against Inigo's, both boys letting their passion for one another take over as they drifted into their own world. Their secret world.

For now, at least.

* * *

 _Well that was easily the longest story I've written here (Not counting A Knight's Tale, which, yes, I will get back to soon. I just don't have much time since I'm in college now.)_

 _Hope you've all stuck with me through it, since this took a long time to finish._

 _Until next time!_


End file.
